Old Endings and New Beginnings
by Katerineious
Summary: Kenshin has left Kaoru again and she vows to move on with her life. She learns how hard it is to be alone again and banish the feelings in her heart. That is until she is rescued by the most unlikely person. Warning: LEMON KxH, KxK, KxB pairing.
1. A Lonely Heart

Okay, some I'm probably gonna get some massive hate mail for this pairing, but I don't care. This is a senario I've wanted to try for a long time now, especially after the relationship between Kaoru and Hiko in my other story, "Hidden Agendas." Hiko is my all time favorite anime character and you have no idea how much I wish I could lose my third dimension and swap places with Kaoru in this story. Anyway, enjoy. As always feedback is greatly appreciated.**

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Chapter 1: The Handsome Stranger 

"Just go, Kenshin," Kaoru said sadly.

"Please try to understand, Kaoru-dono. Sessha must leave tonight."

"Of course you have to leave tonight!" She paused to take in a deep breath, clenching her hands into fists t her side before speaking again in a soft voice. "You promised me that you would always be here for me."

"Kaoru-dono, this—"

"YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!"

"You're making this harder than it has to be." He moved to wrap his arms around her in a good-bye hug but she pushed him away. "Very well then. Sayonara, Kaoru-dono." He turned and began walking down the road.

"GO ON AND LEAVE ME JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" Kaoru stooped to pick up a rock from the road and threw it at his retreating back. "I'M NOT GONNA CRY OVER YOU THIS TIME! JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T EVER COME BACK! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" She turned and retreated inside the dojo.

Kaoru stormed past Yahiko in her hurry to get to her room. _"I won't cry this time. I won't do it."_ She entered her room and slammed the shoji shut. _"I've cried enough tears for him to last the rest of my life!"_ She grabbed her quilt and tucked herself in the corner, trying to get as far away as possible.

"Kaoru," Yahiko said tentatively from outside the room. "What happened? Are you gonna be okay?"

"_Damn! I wish he would just go away for awhile. I wanna be alone." _"I'm fine, Yahiko. Hear that? I'm not even crying."

"Are you sure? Do you want me to do anything for you?"

"_How bout just disappearing completely?"_ "Yahiko, Kenshin left. For good this time." She took in a deep breath to stop the storm raging inside her. "Look, I just wanna be left alone right now. Why don't you go to Sano's for the night?" Silence. "**Please**, Yahiko."

"Alright, fine, I'll go." She heard him turn and take a few steps down the hall before returning. "Kaoru, if you need something you'll come get me right?"

She sighed and muttered, "Yeah, right," under her breath.

"Kaoru?"

"I said yes, Yahiko."

"Okay. Bye, Kaoru."

"Just go . . ."

* * *

Time passed slowly at the dojo. Kaoru adapted the routine for her life so that she had no free time. In addition to her training she took on all the chores Kenshin had done with vigor. She made sure she cooked all the meals and put such effort into concentrating on her task that even Yahiko couldn't complain about the taste. Kaoru did all the laundry and scrubbed the entire place at least three times a week. When Yahiko shirked off his duties, instead of reprimanding him as usual, Kaoru completed the job in silence.

That's what had the others so worried about her—the silence. She rarely spoke anymore. She would correct Yahiko during their training sessions; tell the others when the meals were ready. If anyone asked her a direct question she always answered, but other than that she stayed trapped deep inside her mind in her attempt to block out the feelings.

After months with no real response from her, the others quit trying. Tae and Megumi quit coming by. Tsubame only came at Yahiko's urging. Kaoru had tried to get him to completely move in with Sanosuke, but he refused to leave her alone for great lengths of time.

* * *

A few months later Sano and Yahiko accompanied Megumi to Kyoto for a visit with Misao. Kaoru had been invited as well but she declined, not wanting to leave the security of Tokyo. They asked her once and didn't pressure her again, knowing how unlikely it was that Kenshin would be in the Kyoto area, there was still the looming possibility.

Kaoru saw them off as they boarded the boat, waiting until it was out of sight before leaving the harbor. She made a detour through the marketplace to buy some tofu and vegetables before making her way home. When she got back so made herself some supper but when she sat down to eat she just stared at it. "Why am I still like this?" She said as she played with a few grains of rice. "It's been months and I'm still so depressed. I'm so utterly lonely but I don't want company."

"_No, you want __**him,**__" _she thought.

"No, I don't." She said quietly, but inside she knew it was true.

She sat there in silence with her knees tucked under her chin for a long time, watching her food cool. _"Why won't you eat it?"_

"Guess I'm not hungry."

"_Yes, you are. You've hid it from the others, but I know you haven't eaten anything in two days."_

"So what. Why should I eat if I'm not hungry?"

"_I know why you don't want it."_

"So enlighten me."

"_**He**__ didn't cook it." _She didn't answer. _"I'm right, aren't I?"_

"I'm going to take a bath." She said, avoiding the question in her mind though she already knew the answer.

* * *

As Kaoru lay in the warm water she tried hard to burry her thoughts in the back of her mind. Instead she concentrated on relaxing her body. She started with her feet and worked her way up until she got to her neck. She sat there unmoving, no feeling in her body from her neck down.

She closed her eyes, steam lightly caressing her face. "Why do I still think about him when it hurts so much?"

"_Because you love him."_

"I don't want to love him. I want my heart to be free of him."

"_It's not that easy."_

"I want somebody to take care of me." She paused. "Somebody stronger. Somebody who won't leave me this way."

"_Who's stronger than Kenshin?"_

"No one. That's where the problem lies."

"_You could get out of this dumb dojo and look for somebody. I bet Tae knows lots of eligible bachelors."_

"Oh shut up." She pushed the voice inside her back as feeling returned to her arms and legs. She concentrated again on how the water enveloped her body and slowly relaxed herself again. This time when she laid her head against the side of the tub and closed her eyes is was merely seconds before she fell asleep.

* * *

Kaoru woke the next morning to the sound of birds chirping. _"Ugh! No one should be that happy." _She reached to pull the blanket over her head and roll over and realized that she was wrapped in some very large arms. _"Uh oh." _She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze falling upon a very large and well defined chest. She titled her head back to look into the face of her captor, her eyes traveling across a face framed by hair as long and dark as her own and finally meeting a pair of dark brown, almost black eyes.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Kaoru breath caught in her chest, her eyes fluttered and the next instant she fainted and was limp arms.

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Please review. Next chapter posted soon. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Note to anyone reading "Hidden Agendas": The last chapter is on its way. It's halfway written, I'm just stumped on how to finish it.


	2. The Stranger In Her Bed

I just realized I forgot the disclaimer for Chapter 1, so here it is: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. These are not my characters.

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**Chapter 2: The Stranger In Her Bed**

"Shit!" the dark haired man said as he laid Kaoru's unconscious body against the bedding before leaving the room.

He returned moments later with a bucket of cool water and a rag. He dipped the cloth in the water and rung out the excess before pressing it against gently her forehead. "Kaoru, can you hear me?" He waited as few minutes and moved the cloth to her cheeks before rewetting it and returning it to its original position. "Kaoru?" he asked as he saw her eyes moving behind her closed lids.

* * *

"_Why is my face cold? And wet?" _She laid there quietly for a moment, absorbing the movements of the damp rag on her face. _"Who is here with me?"_

"Kaoru?" she heard a deep voice ask.

"_I remember!"_ She thought as she sat straight up, looking at him with wide eyes. That is until the vertigo set in and she blacked out. She swayed and he caught her in his arms, holding her still until the dizziness passed. "Arigato."

"Don't worry about it."

Kaoru pushed herself out of his arms, and he gently released her. She pulled back enough to look him full in the face. "Master Hiko . . . why are you . . . ," she blushed, "here . . . on my futon . . . with me?" She turned her head down so she wouldn't have to look at him.

"I found you last night in the bathhouse. Your head had sunk halfway below the water. When I pulled you out your breathing was shallow. I removed as much of the water as possible but you still weren't breathing properly. I wrapped you in a towel and brought you in here. I dressed you a yukata and just held you while you slept." He reached out, grabbing her chin to force her to look at him. "I didn't think you would make it through the night."

She tried to turn her eyes down but he squeezed her chin and made eye contact again. "Kaoru, I got to you before drowning was a serious issue but it was like your body refused to fight back. It wasn't until two hours ago that your breathing truly regulated." He closed his eyes and released her from his grasp.

"Gomen," Kaoru said in a small voice.

"I want to know what's going on here. Where is Kenshin and why did he let you come this close to death?"

Kaoru clenched her eyes and fists, her whole body suddenly going rigid. She felt the tears burning behind her lids, but refused to let them out. She had held them back for too long to give in now.

Hiko sensed the change in her and pulled her awkwardly into his arms. He ran his large hands up and down her arms trying to calm her as she began shaking and almost hyperventilated. "Kaoru, you need to calm down. Just breathe, okay?"

"_What is he doing here? And why did he have to say __**his**__ name? Doesn't he understand?"_

"Breathe, Kaoru." She was still struggling. "Do I need to fetch a doctor?" She shook her head no. "Then breathe."

"_I'm trying to breathe you big oaf!"_ Kaoru's breathing did slow enough to where she wasn't gasping for air.

"It's alright. You're going to be okay. In, out. In, out."

She did as she was told until she regained control. Her breathing was normal and the shaking stopped.

"Kaoru, look at me. I think you just had a panic attack. You might not want to talk about this but I need some answers and I will only ask you about this once, okay?" He waited until she nodded her head in agreement. "Did Kenshin leave you?"

Her breath caught in her chest but she forced herself to stay calm. "Hai. He left me. Several months ago. No one's heard from him since."

"Alright, next question. How long have you been like this? Have you kept anyone how this has affected you?"

"Yeah."

"It's not healthy, Kaoru. You bottle it up until you body can't contain it anymore and you end up like you did just a few minutes ago." She nodded. "Kenshin may be gone but there are still people that care about you."

"You sound so sure of that."

"I'm always sure of everything. I know that Yahiko would never have left you alone after Kenshin left." He looked down at her questioningly. "This is the first time you've heard his name since he left, huh? You've winced every time I've said it."

She nodded. "It just hurts too much to even think about him, let alone hear his name."

"Very well then. I'll say no more about this." He stood and helped her to her feet. "I think its time you ate something."

* * *

Hiko had gone ahead to the kitchen to prepare something to eat, giving Kaoru enough to sort through her very confused thoughts.

"_Why is Hiko here? I haven't thought about him in so long. Does that make me a bad person? I mean, I never expected to see him again. I pushed everything that had to do with __**him**__ away from me." _She sighed as her stomach rumbled. _"Guess I had better go before he comes back in here to get me."_ She opened the shoji to her room and walked quietly to the kitchen.

Hiko was waiting for her when she got there. He had a tray with a bowl of plain rice and a cup of green tea. "Sit."

She sat.

He placed the tray in front of her and positioned himself opposite her. He watched as she ate slowly. "Just eat, Kaoru. No use being proper now." He smiled as she began to eat with fervor. "Soft foods are good for a sensitive stomach."

"My stomach is not sensitive," she said between mouthfuls.

"Oh no? I'd say from the look of you, the feel of your ki, and the way you're eating that it has been at least three days since you've had anything. Am I correct?"

"Hai."

"May I ask why?"

"I just haven't had an appetite for the past few days. I just get that way sometimes. But I've never gone longer than four days without food so it's not like I was trying to starve myself or anything."

"Really? From what I can see you've lost a good bit of weight since last I saw you." She didn't say anything. "Depression will do that to you."

She looked at him hard.

"Don't try to pretend with me, Kaoru. I can sense it. I know he hurt you, but that's no reason for you to make it harder on yourself. You can be honest with me. You know I won't judge you."

Kaoru sat her chopsticks down. "Why are you here?"

Her blunt question hit him like brick wall. "Huh?"

"I mean, how did you know to come to Tokyo at this precise time? And don't call it divine intervention cause I don't believe in that nonsense anymore. I just wanna know why you came to Tokyo in the first place and how you ended up at my dojo. You're not one for social visits."

He smiled. "You're right, I'm not am I? Why did I come here? Well, I met Okon and Omasu as I was buying sake two weeks ago and they told me that the others had said you weren't yourself but they wouldn't say what had happened. And then they told me that the others would be coming to visit the ninjas at the Aoiya and you had refused to come. I didn't like the idea of you being here alone and I didn't know if something had happened to Kenshin and everyone had neglected to tell me so I came to see for myself. And I must say that it's a good thing I came when I did."

"It was. I'm very grateful to you."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're alright."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you care? From what I've seen you don't care about anyone but yourself."

"Now why would you get that impression?"

"Because you're a pompous ass?"

"You do have a point there."

"So, why did you care enough to travel across the country to come check on me? What made you get your big butt off that precious mountain of yours?"

"I can't really explain it. There was just something about the whole situation that didn't sit well with me."

"Oh."

Kaoru started eating again.

"Kaoru."

"Hmm?"

"I am sorry."

"Don't be sorry for him."

* * *

Kaoru realized how much more quickly this day had passed for her than any others in the past month. After breakfast, or more correctly lunch, Hiko heated up the bath for Kaoru after making her promise she wouldn't fall asleep again. After bathing she did some laundry and picked some vegetables from her small garden for their supper.

That night Hiko sat outside with his sake bottle while Kaoru prepared to go to bed early. As she slid under the quilt she felt strangely lonely.

"_It's weird. I never expected to share my bed with anyone again and now I miss it more than anything."_ She snuggled down the futon further. _"The nights can be so cold when you're alone."

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_

_Kaoru was walking the yard just outside the dojo. She noticed that it was open and quickly went inside to investigate, knowing that no one but she or Yahiko ever entered it. What she saw stole the breath from her chest._

"_Kenshin?" She asked tentatively._

_He was sitting in the middle of the floor, cross-legged, palms up on his knees, with the sakabato lying in front of him._

_Kaoru took a few unsteady steps into the room. "Kenshin, is it really you? Are you really here? Did you finally come back to me?"_

"_Why did you keep me waiting so long?"_

"_W-what? I didn't know you were here?"_

"_I told you this morning to meet me in here. What kept your from me for over half the day?"_

"_But, Ken—" Kenshin opened his eyes to stare hatefully at her. "—shin . . ."_

"_What woman?"_

"_Y-your eyes!"_

"_Is something wrong with them?"_

"_You're not Kenshin!"_

"_Of course I'm Kenshin. Who else would be here waiting for you all day?"_

"_You're Battosai."_

"_We are one and the same."_

"_No. You're not. Kenshin is—" Kaoru was cut off when Battosai used his god-like speed to grab her from behind, placing one hand on her throat, the other around her waist, trapping her arm._

"_Kenshin is what?" He let out an evil laugh. "Kenshin __**is**__ me. You should know that by now." He ran his hand across her neck, almost caressingly while he buried his head in her hair an inhaled deeply. "Your scent is intoxicating. The feel of you skin—so soft, so smooth."_

"_Get away from me," she said with disgust._

"_Do I repulse you? Is my skin that is so scarred and stained with blood revolting to your perfect whiteness?"_

"_**Please**__ . . ."_

"_Pleading has never worked with Battosai. You should know that. You are in an ignorant state today." He squeezed his arms, pulling her closer to him. "Do I smell of," he leant down to whisper the last word in her ear, "__**blood**__?" The iciness and ferocity in his voice sent a shiver down Kaoru's spine. He laughed, pleased with her reaction. "Are you afraid of me?"_

"_Very much so."_

"_You should be. You should have been afraid when we first met."_

"_I met Kenshin that night! Not __**you**__!"_

_The anger with thick in his voice by now. "We are the same. We were the same during the Bakumatsu. We are still the same now and always will be."_

"_NO!"_

_He released growl and turned her around to face him. "Shall I prove it to you?" His tone promised violence._

"_N-no." Kaoru was shaking in his grasp._

"_I think I shall anyway." Kaoru shook her head fiercely but he bent his head and crushed his mouth against hers. _

_Kaoru tried to struggle, to fight him off, but he was too strong and held her still. He forced her lips open and claimed her mouth with his tongue. Kaoru let out a whimper of protest and he actually moved his head back._

"_If your going to make noises at least make sure they are pleasurable ones." He looked her in the eyes for a few seconds. "You keep making pathetic little sounds like that and I might think of you as actually prey and do something far worse." He watched her eyes widen. "Good. Now I think I've made my point." _

_He bent his head and slowly nipped along her neck. "You know, Kaoru, you say we're different, but I don't understand where that logic comes from. Who saved you countless times? He did, I did. We are the same."_

"_You share the same body, but you are not the same person."_

"_Oh, I beg to differ." He moved his hands to her shoulders and pulled back to look at her. "I've missed your body."_

"_Well, you can keep on missing."_

"_I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter."_

"_NO! NO! NO!" She tried harder to escape him. "I WON'T DO IT! YOU CAN'T FORCE ME INTO THAT!"_

"_Men force themselves upon women all the time. Just be grateful that I haven't until now."_

"_NO! I DON'T WANT TO! YOU LEFT ME! YOU WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO COME BACK! YOU WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO HURT ME AGAIN!"_

"_I've never left you."_

"_NO! I WATCHED YOU WALK AWAY!"_

"_I've been here the entire time."_

"_NO!"_

"_Leaver her alone."_

"_Kaoru turned her head to look at her savior, but Battosai already knew who the intruder was._

"_Master, what are you doing her."_

"_Stopping you from hurting this girl further."_

"_Get out," Battosai said forcefully._

"_You don't order me around."_

"_I'm not you student anymore."_

"_As long as I'm alive you obey me."_

"_Well, I have a remedy for that."_

"_Stop it, Kenshin. Everywhere you go you leave a path of destruction. It's time it ended."_

"_I'm with my woman now. Can't you see we're busy."_

"_She's not your woman anymore."_

_Kenshin looked from Kaoru to Hiko and back. He then flung Kaoru towards Hiko so hard that she fell and slid across the floor to his feet. Hiko reached down and picked her up._

"_You want her, you can have her. I'll find another one."_

_Kaoru had tears streaming down her face. "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"_

_Kenshin to a menacing step towards her. "Don't you dare speak to me that way. Master can't protect you from me."_

"_HE'S STRONGER THAN YOU'LL EVER BE! LEAVE AND DON'T COME BACK1"_

_Kenshin was beside the other two in an instant. He put his hand on Kaoru's cheek and whispered in her ear. "You will __**always**__ be __**mine**__."_

"_NO!"

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_

"_Kaoru! Kaoru, you need to wake up!" Hiko was kneeling over her trying to rouse her without hurting her. She had been screaming in her sleep and he had rushed in to find her mid-nightmare. "Come on, Kaoru."_

"_NO!" she called out as she opened her eyes and sat up. Her face was wet from crying and she was still shaking._

_Hiko leant back so he wouldn't scare her with his closeness. She looked around until her eyes met his._

"_Oh, Hiko!" she said as she began crying again and threw herself into his arms._

"_Shh, it's alright. He's not going to hurt you here."_

"_H-he w-won't let m-me go!"_

"_Shh."

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_

_Kaoru stayed wrapped in his arms and cried for almost an hour. She cried until her throat and eyes burned. She cried until her body was exhausted from the effort and her muscles ached. When her sobs quieted, Hiko spoke again._

"_Kaoru, are you done?" She nodded. "Okay. Do you want to go back to bed." She nodded again. "Alright." Hiko picked her up and placed her back under the blankets. _

_When he tried to move away from her he found that she was gripping his gi so tightly her knuckles were white. "Are you still frightened?"_

"_No."_

"_Then what is it?"_

"_I want you to make me forget."_

"_You don't know what you're asking."_

"_I understand exactly what I'm asking." She paused, her voice softening pleadingly. "Please . . ."_

"_Very well." Hiko bent his head, claiming her lips in a possessive kiss.

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That's it for Chapter 2. The next one's coming soon with lots of lemon. Please review.


	3. Learning To Let Go

First off I want to apologize for the absurd amount of typos in Chapter 2. I got interupted mid-proofread and forgot to finish. Sorry.

Secondly, I want to let everyone know that the next update won't be for a few days. I'm gonna try for a week max, but please don't be mad if it takes me longer than that. Anyway, please enjoy the much anticipated lemon scene.

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**Chapter 3: Learning To Let Go**

Hiko pulled his lips away from Kaoru's. He had his hands placed on either side of her head, suspending himself above her. He looked into her eyes, searching. She noticed.

"What are you looking for?"

"Your emotions. I'm not sure if this is the best way for you to heal."

"I just feel that this is something I need to do. I don't know how to explain it."

"Does it have anything to do with my being Kenshin's master?"

"No, I don't think so. I think it has more to do with your being another man. A different kind of man."

"Are you sure you want this?"

Kaoru looked into his eyes, conducting her own search. She saw the need burning in those dark depths. She reached up to run the backs of her fingers across his cheek. "How long has it been since you've felt a woman's touch?"

"Far too long."

"Then why do you refuse me?"

"I haven't refused anything; I don't want you to rush into something you might regret."

Instead of answering him Kaoru ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders where she unfastened the catches that kept his cloak in place. Once undone it slid off his body to land with a thud and pool around his legs.

"I'm not a naïve young girl anymore, Hiko. I'm twenty years old now and I know more than enough about love-making. You may be more than twenty-five years my senior, but the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style has preserved your body in almost perfection condition."

"I'm not a gentle lover."

"I'm not asking you to be. He was and that's not what I want."

Kaoru blinked and found herself naked beneath the larger man. Hiko's movements had been to fast for her to see as he removed their clothing. Instead of kneeling beside her and leaning over her, he was now holding himself above the length of her body.

Hiko was looking up and down her body, deciding where he should start. He knew after her ordeal with his student he should be gentle, but he didn't want to be. He slowly lowered himself from above her to resting upon her smaller frame. He kept his upper body from crushing her by propping up on his elbows.

As their space between their bodies grew smaller until they were pressed against each other Kaoru felt her body stiffen. It had been so long and no one other than Kenshin had ever touched her this way. She felt him use one hand to brush her hair away from her face, exposing her ear.

"Relax," he whispered in her ear.

Kaoru shuddered as his warm breath blew over her skin and was replaced by his lips. He gently sucked and nibbled on her earlobe before moving down her jaw line. _"My body is on fire! I hardly know this man. So why do I feel this way?"_ One of his hands moved up her stomach to massage her breast as his mouth moved down her neck.

Kaoru's hands were moving up and down Hiko's back, caressing the massive muscles hidden beneath his skin. She let out a low moan as he stopped moving across her neck and became focused on the spot where the base of her throat met her shoulder. She shuddered as he licked and sucked, getting the spot wet, then gently blew across it. Her nails dug fiercely into his shoulder muscles as he bit harshly and sucked hard on that same spot, marking her. Kaoru groaned as his teeth moved against her flesh more urgently. She pressed her body against his as much as possible, wrapping her legs around his waist, and felt his swollen manhood against her for the first time.

Hiko felt her tense as she pressed herself against him—against that part of him that longed for her touch. "Is something wrong?"

"Um . . ." _"How do I tell him this? I mean, he so much bigger __**there**__. I don't know if this is going to work."_ "You certainly are . . . **larger** . . . than he is."

He laughed softly "Is that what you're worried about?"

"It's not funny."

"You're right, it's not."

"You're still smiling."

"Kaoru, I won't tell you that I haven't been with other women because I have. But, I can assure you that none of them has ever had a problem with it." Her body was still rigid underneath him. "Listen, I'm just a larger man than Kenshin. That's just the way it is." He paused to let her think. "Do you want to stop?"

"No. Gomen."

"Don't."

"But—" her protest turned into a moan as his mouth covered one of her swollen nipples. He suckled firmly, causing her back to arch and press herself into his mouth and body. Kaoru's breath caught as he grazed the peak with his teeth. "More . . ." She moaned. He smiled against her skin as his teeth moved over her with new determination.

Kaoru needed to feel more of him. She moved her right hand between their bodies and slid it down his well defined chest and stomach. Down to that part of him that intimidated her as Kenshin's never had. She saw him pull away from her breast and intake a sharp breath as her hand closed around him tightly.

"Kaoru," he said breathily, "please. It's been too long, I can't last."

She smiled mischievously and squeezed as she moved her hand along the length of him. "You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that."

"If you like it why should I stop?"

"Because I won't be able to control myself for much longer."

She moved to his ear and whispered seductively in it, "No one's asking you to keep control." She felt the shudder run through his body and his muscles flexing as he kept himself still. "Just let go." That was all he needed.

The next moment she was pressed underneath him with the entire length of him buried in her. Kaoru gasped as he filled places inside her that had never been touched. She could feel the heat threatening to engulf her as he pumped himself in and out of her with deep, sure strokes.

Each thrust brought him closer to losing himself as she wrapped her smaller body around his larger one. Kaoru was so lost in the sensations she was experiencing all she could do was right the storm. Hiko wrapped his arms around her torso as his thrusts became increasingly harder and faster.

Within the next minute Kaoru was screaming into the night. Her climax causing her inner muscles to convulse around Hiko, bringing his own. He released himself inside her and collapsed on top of her.

They lay there breathing heavily for several moments. When cool air began affecting their bodies Hiko moved off her and pulled the blanket over them. Kaoru snuggled into his arms for the night, her back pressed against his chest.

* * *

The next morning Kaoru woke before Hiko did. She could tell it was still dark outside and she rolled over to face him. _"His face is so much more peaceful than Kenshin's ever was. Kenshin would never have left himself so vulnerable." _Kaoru reached out to brush some of Hiko's dark hair away from his face._ "It's so much softer than Kenshin's. Kenshin. KENSHIN! Oh no! I've been thinking his name and not even realizing it." _Kaoru sat up and slowed her breathing. _"I didn't even realize I was doing it." _She looked around the room, eyeing all the empty spaces that had once held objects that reminded her of him. _"Maybe I'm finally to the point where I can move on."_

She looked down at Hiko's massive form. _"They are so different."_ That's when Kaoru realized that when she had sat up, the blanket had slid down and was now draped teasingly across Hiko's hip. Kaoru smiled playfully as she slid beneath the covers.

* * *

Hiko awoke to some very pleasant attention in his nether-region. He opened his eyes to see what he knew what already happening. What he saw made his erection harden further as Kaoru's head dipped up and down while her mouth surrounded him. He could feel her hand massaging that soft part of his anatomy and growled low in his chest. He spoke in a husky voice, letting her know that she had succeeded in waking him up. "I don't usually like to rise this early."

"Then go back to sleep."

"Not likely. Who knows what I might wake up to next."

"You won't find out if you stay awake."

"I'll take my chances."

Kaoru's mouth resumed her task. She licked and sucked. She used her teeth to tease.

Hiko had no idea how long she had been playing with him, but he was so close he didn't care. He threw his head back and allowed her to pleasure him.

Kaoru looked up at him and noticed how his eyes rolled to the back of his head. She could feel him trying not to buck his hips and let her maintain control. She smiled to herself and picked up the pace.

Within seconds he was gasping for air."I don't want to be mean, Kaoru, but if your body was this maddening to Kenshin, its no wonder he left. It's enough to drive any man to the point of insanity."

* * *

Later that morning Kaoru and Hiko were still lying in bed as they had both fallen back asleep after Kaoru's mischief. Kaoru's back was to his chest again and he had one arm out to pillow her head. His other arm was occupied gently rubbing her upper. Hiko was concentrating very hard on the conversation he was about to start.

"Kaoru," he said seriously.

"Hai?"

"You do know that I'm not here to replace Kenshin, right?"

Kaoru sighed. "Hai, I do. I'm not expecting you to either. We both know that that isn't an option."

"I don't want you thinking that I don't care for you, because I do, but I don't love you."

"That's good because I'm not in love with you either." They remained silent for a few minutes, listening to the sounds from outside the room. "Hiko?"

"I do have a name, you know?"

"I know, but Seijuro just sounds so weird."

"It is not that uncommon a name."

"It's not that. It's just, well, you're Hiko. It's what I've called you for three years."

"Understandable." There was another pause. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Um, I forgot."

"Very well then. May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"When did you lose the baby?" Kaoru stiffened in his arms, not breathing. "Don't try to lie to me."

"How did you know?" she asked quietly.

"I'm the master of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. I know pretty much everything."

"Seriously."

"Last night you let me far enough inside your barriers to sense that you ki has almost been ripped in two. Kenshin's absence wouldn't have done that. It had to be something deeper. That's the only solution I could come up with."

"Last August."

"How far along were you?"

"Just under four months." She was silent for a moment. "It's the reason Kenshin left."

"I see."

"We got married in February, but decided not to tell anyone. You know, keep it secret. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"What do you mean?"

"If someone else had known there's no way he would have just left like that. His honor would have been at stake as much as mine."

"His honor was forfeit the moment he decided to leave you alone to deal with that loss."

"I'll go make breakfast."

* * *

Later that night Kaoru was lying asleep on her futon when a man stole inside and slipped underneath the blanket with her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body close to his. She had not been sleeping deeply and this small movement was enough to rouse her.

"I thought we agreed to sleep in separate rooms tonight?" she muttered sleepily.

"What are you talking about? I've been gone for months, Kaoru-koishii."

Kaoru rolled over to face the one person she never expected nor wanted to see again. "K-Kenshin . . ."

"I'm home."

* * *

Cue dramatic music.

Please review, any input is greatly appreciated.


	4. Repossesion

Okay, so I edited the details for this story before posting this chapter. I changed it from Kaoru/Hiko to Kaoru/Kenshin. This story has taken a completely different twist from what I originally planned. It's hard to get three such strong-willed characters such as Kaoru, Hiko, and Battosai to cooperate with me in any way. After I finish this one I would like to try again with my original idea in mind.

Please enjoy.

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Chapter 4: Repossession 

Kaoru was dumbfounded. "I must be dreaming," she said softly as she ran her hands across his face. "You're not really here."

"Hai, Kaoru, I am."

She traced the scar on his left-cheek. "Sure you are."

Kenshin let out an exasperated sigh and possessively put his lips on hers. Kaoru responded with fervor. That is until she realized that the kiss was real, that she really wasn't dreaming.

* * *

Hiko had agreed with Kaoru's suggestion that they sleep in separate rooms. Neither one could allow themselves to become attached. He would be leaving in a few days and didn't want to complicate her life further. In an effort to make the separation easier, he had suppressed his ki before going to sleep so she wouldn't sense his presence. Also, he wouldn't allow himself to fall into a deep sleep in case she woke up frightened. After everything that she had experienced he wasn't sure what kind of nightmares she had been having, and after his experience with Kenshin in his younger days, knew she was in desperate need of comfort.

It was in this state of light sleep that Hiko sensed Kaoru's ki become suddenly frightened. And she wasn't just scared, she was terrified. He jumped off his futon and was halfway to her room when he stopped dead in his tracks.

She wasn't alone. There was a second ki originating from her room. Hiko couldn't believe that his baka deshi had shown up after everything he had done to that poor girl. He was determined Kenshin was going to pay dearly for what he had done.

* * *

Kaoru was sitting in the corner, having backed away as far a possible from Kenshin in the small room, her hand held out to keep him back. Tears were running down her face and she just kept muttering, "Why?" to herself over and over as she shook her head violently back and forth.

Kenshin was kneeling before her in the darknes, trying to calm her down but nothing he said reached her ears. He was so focused on Kaoru that he had failed to notice his master's ki up to the point her Hiko reached the shoji and the rage he was emitting almost knocked Kenshin off balance.

Hiko slid the shoji back with such force that the wood splintered. Kenshin was on his feet in an instant, ready to defend Kaoru.

"Get away from her," Hiko growled, trying as best he could not to attack the smaller redhead.

"Why, Shishou? What are you doing in Tokyo anyway?" Kenshin asked, genuinely confused.

Hiko growled low in his chest and took a few steps closer to Kenshin, hand on his katana, ready to pounce. "Doing what I do best: Cleaning up your messes."

Kenshin looked up at his master questioningly. Hiko averted his gaze and looked down to make sure Kaoru was alright. Kenshin noticed and protectively drew his sakabato. "Don't touch my wife."

Hiko barked a laugh. He was behind Kenshin in an instant, Kaoru in his arms so Kenshin wouldn't be dumb enough to strike. "What if I told you she was my woman now?"

"That can't be."

Kaoru still wasn't responding to them. She hadn't fought Hiko off when he moved to pick her up, but she didn't relax in his arms either. She was still muttering to herself and was blinded from her own tears.

"Can't it? Do you see what you've done to her? All she's done since the day she met you is love you and watch over and look at how you've repaid her. She an emotional wreck; has been for a long time."

"Kaoru?" Kenshin asked tentatively.

Nothing.

"Do you know that she almost died?"

That hit Kenshin like a brick wall. "No, I had no idea."

"Yeah, she did. She had almost drowned, having fallen asleep in the bathhouse. I saved her, but only just." He gave Kenshin a moment to let the information sink in. "You as good as killed her. Just like Tomoe."

Kenshin released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, the anger and remorse coming off him in waves. He raised his sword, glaring at Hiko with glowing amber eyes. "Release my wife."

"So you expect to just waltz back in here and resume everything from where you let off? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she doesn't want you here anymore. Sagara would make a better husband than you." Kenshin lunged and Hiko easily dodged it. "If you think that even as Battosai you can defeat me, you are sorely mistaken. And I would advise my baka deshi to refrain from doing that again because you risk injuring Kaoru."

"Don't say her name. Don't you **dare** say her name."

"Why, is it too painful to have someone tell you the truth? **Kaoru** almost died because of you. You almost injured **Kaoru** by attacking my while I'm holding her. You do nothing but bring **Kaoru** harm."

Kenshin threw his head back and growled loudly, restraining himself from attacking. "I want my wife back. **Now.**"

"It's seems you have a problem then. She doesn't want to go anywhere with you." Hiko looked around the room. "As far as I'm concerned, this is her dojo. You have no claim here. **You** kept the marriage secret and now can't prove that it has ever existed."

"It doesn't change the fact that the three of us know she is my wife, and you will return her to me and leave my home."

"There you go again, **baka deshi**. You're the one that's leaving, not me. I'll be staying until I'm certain she safe from you."

"She safer with me than anyone else, including you, **Shishou**."

"Is that so? Just look at her! Does she look alright to you?" Kenshin said nothing. "Kenshin, do you realize that she had a panic attack from just hearing your **name**? The mind can't handle rejection like you've shown her repetitively. Her heart cannot keep reliving this pain. It will eventually destroy her. Is that what you want for her?"

"Kaoru?" Kenshin asked again, this time not so softly. "Kaoru, can you hear me?" He reached his hand out, but did not touch her.

She heard him alright. Her entire body tensed up. Hiko gently shook her to get her to breathe again. After that she started shaking violently in his arms.

"See what I was talking about? You need to leave. Now. Before she hurts herself. I can't calm her down if she can feel you presence."

"I'm not just giving her up without a fight."

"Then go into the woods and don't come back here until I send for you. She won't remember much of this and after I tell her what happened she'll be able to make her decision. Leave her alone until then."

"Fine. But I won't be far." Kenshin turned and walked out of the room and into the night.

When Hiko was certain he was no longer in the dojo he laid Kaoru back down on her futon. He noticed that the further away Kenshin got, the calmer she became until the only evidence of the ordeal were the tear stains on her face.

"Kaoru, he's gone. You need to go back to sleep, okay? I'm not going to let him hurt you again." Hiko moved back from her but she grabbed his hand.

"Don't leave me alone."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to sit next to the wall, okay?"

"Okay."

Hiko sat against the wall closest to her, using his ki to calm her down. He knew it didn't take her long to fall asleep, but it wasn't a restful slumber. He could sense Kenshin stalking around outside the dojo and knew that the rurouni's patience wouldn't last forever.

"He just can't make anything easy for me, can he?"

* * *

Kaoru woke for the third time late that afternoon. After only having slept restlessly for less than a hour, Hiko had made some tea to let her remain asleep. Hiko noticed that after taking effect she wasn't thrashing about on the futon as much and her talking quieted to infrequent murmurs.

She sat up, rubbing her face. "What time is it?"

"Late afternoon. You don't have a clock in here and I haven't left so I don't know exactly."

"I've been asleep for more than half a day?" She turned her head to face him. "What did you put in that tea?"

"Don't worry about it. It helped you sleep didn't it?"

"If you say so. But, please, don't give me what ever it was again because I have a terrific headache."

"I can promise you that my tea did not cause your headache." She just looked at him. "It's stress, Kaoru."

"Stress?"

"Stress, anxiety, anger, fear." He considered her for a moment. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"I think so. I remember dreaming that Kenshin had come back and then realizing it wasn't a dream. I remember hearing both your voices, but not what you said. And then he was gone and you were telling me to go back to sleep and gave me that awful tea."

"That about sums it up."

Kaoru pulled her knees under her chin and sat starring at the wall. Hiko did not interrupt her.

"Hiko?" she asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

She turned her head to the shoji leading outside. "I can feel him out there. Waiting for me." She turned back to Hiko. "What does he want?"

"Exactly what he told you last night. To return home. Or what was his home before he so irresponsibly left you." He didn't bother hiding the disdain in his voice. "I told him that his presence was hurting you and he needed to stay far enough away for you to make a rational decision." He made firm eye contact with her. "There is no time deadline for you to make said decision. I told him that one way or the other, I would inform him of what you want."

"I don't know what I want."

"I don't expect you to."

"He won't let me go."

"I can only imagine how confusing this has all been for you. No one's going to make this decision for you, although he would if he could. This is something you need to figure out for yourself."

"Do you think I should forgive him?"

"Only you know the answer to that."

"I thought you might say that."

Hiko moved across the room to kneel in front of her and took one of her small hands in his, resuming eye contact. "Do you want my opinion?"

"Hai."

"Then listen closely because I will only interfere once, understood?" She nodded. "Alright. I think that if you are willing to forgive him and allow him to come back into your home and try again then you should. However, there will always be that insecurity. You will never know if he is home for good. It could end up eating away at both of you and drive you apart eventually.

"But I also know you don't need to be alone. That you deserve much better. Someone who isn't going to hurt you like that. You've done nothing that warrants such treatment. You deserve to be happy again. You've lived your life for him for too long. Live it for yourself, if only for a small time."

"Hai."

"That's all you'll hear me say about this." Kaoru nodded and turned her head towards outside again, but didn't remover her hand from his. "I'll go prepare the bath."

* * *

Kaoru was sitting in the tub, looking back on everything that had changed so suddenly in her life in the last few days.

"_It's been months since Kenshin left. __**Months.**__ And just when I finally get the courage to actually live again instead of just going through the routine he shows back up. The progress that I'd made in these few days with Hiko here, he undid in an instant. What am I going to do?"

* * *

_

Hiko noticed that Kaoru had been in the bathhouse an awfully long time. As he approached the building he heard her crying loudly. "Kaoru?"

She sniffled and took a few deep breaths to calm her voice.

"H-hai?"

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying."

He sighed. "We've gone through this before, you can't lie to me." He heard her whimper and then there was a splash. "Kaoru?" Silence. "Kaoru!" No answer. "KAORU!" Still nothing.

He was inside the bathhouse in an instant, just in time to see Kaoru's head break the surface of the steamy water. His sigh of relief was loud enough to alert her to his presence.

"Oh! Um, Hiko, what are you doing in here? I told you I'm fine."

"I heard a splash and then you wouldn't answer when I called your name. I've already rescued you from drowning in here once. What was I supposed to think?" She just starred at him. He moved to sit next to the tub as she drew her knees under her chin. "What were you trying to do?"

"Clear my head. Going completely underneath the water and feeling it wrap itself around my body helps me calm down. It also washes away the tears."

"It may wash away the tear stains, but your face is still puffy and your eyes still red."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"He's still out there isn't he?" Hiko nodded in answer. "How close?"

"He's followed you around behind the fence. He's just on the other side—waiting, watching. He almost came vaulting over to get to you when he heard me call out your name, but he stopped himself."

"He wants me back. Nothing's going to stop him."

"Don't admit defeat. I've already told you that the decision to allow him to come back is yours and yours alone." He moved across the room to grab a towel and yukata and held them out to her. "It's time for you to get out of the water."

Kaoru said nothing as she took the towel from him and dried herself off. Hiko held out the yukata as she slid her arms into the sleeves.

"Arigato."

"Don't mention it. Now, go put on a clean Kimono. Dinner is almost ready."

* * *

That night Kaoru was sitting on the porch, watching the fireflies float around the yard. Hiko had gone to get some more sake, promising he would be back soon.

Kaoru was feeling restless and aggravated. She got up from the porch and began to dance around the yard in the midst of the glowing insects. Her geta caught on something in the dirt and she stumbled to the ground laughing. The bright bugs floated around her magically.

"I haven't felt this good in months," she told them. "How I wish I could be free like you and fly away with no other purpose but to look pretty." She sighed wistfully. "How I wish everything could be easy again."

"It can."

Kaoru's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the deep voice behind her. She hadn't made the decision to get up and turn around, so he came to kneel in front of her. He reached out to help her to her feet but she jumped back from him and stood on her own. She was ready to bolt at the first chance she got, knowing he could catch her before she took half a step.

"Kaoru." His deep silky voice was her undoing. She had no choice but to look at him. Those glowing amber eyes that were so like the fireflies she had been chasing called to her fiercely.

"Kaoru." He said again. This time he reached his left hand out to her. "Come to me." She moved her hand out, but didn't take his. He tilted his head down, unleashing the full power of his tempting eyes upon her. His voice became even more captivating. "Kaoru-koishii, aishiteru."

She slowly closed the distance between their fingers. Kenshin slowly wrapped his around hers, not wanting to scare her. He ever so slightly tugged on her arm. Her mind didn't register the force and she stepped into his arms. He released her fingers to wrap his left arm around her waist while his right tilted her chin upwards. His eyes seemed to bore into her own.

When he was satisfied her face wouldn't drop he used his hand to bring a strand of her hair across his face and inhaled her scent deeply. "Kami-sama help me, but I've missed you." He dropped her hair and instead held the back of her head softly while he whispered. "I've missed you so much. So very much." And he dipped his head down to claim her mouth in a gentle kiss, still wary of frightening her. Kaoru responded to his kiss, molding her body against his as she opened her mouth, letting him claim her. She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her even closer to him.

When he had to break the kiss to let her breathe his mouth trailed along her jaw and then began its way down her neck. She let herself go limp in his arms, trying to absorb the situation. That is until his body stiffened and he pushed her away from him.

It wasn't a forceful push but Kaoru hadn't expected it and still landed on her backside, starring disbelievingly up at him.

"HOW COULD YOU LET HIM TOUCH YOU?" Kenshin's hands were fisted in his hair as he starred down at her with a look of utter revulsion.

She saw the look in his eyes and began crying, knowing he was about to leave her again. Kenshin saw her tears and his penetrating stare softened just a bit. "I want an answer," he said in a dangerously flat tone.

"Y-you left me! I-I thought t-that you were n-never c-coming back!"

"Why would you go to another man?" He couldn't hide the hurt and pain that took residence on his face. He dropped to the ground beside her, watching her cry. Tears began to form in his own eyes and he called out to her again. "Kaoru, please." His voice was pleading.

Kaoru noticed that there was no harshness in his tone and opened her eyes to look at him through the tears. "K-Kenshin . . ." she said as she moved her hand to his cheek when she saw the violet orbs gazing sadly down on her. Kenshin opened his arms and she went into them willingly, her tears beginning anew. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, her face on his shoulder. She couldn't speak and let her tears and sobs convey her feelings.

Kenshin understood everything she couldn't say. "I'm so, so sorry, koishii. I'm so very sorry." He clutched her even tighter, his own tears escaping now. "I want to come home, Kaoru. I can't live without you. I know that now."

They sat there together, holding each other until the tears stopped. Kenshin pulled back to face his wife and didn't like what he saw.

"No," she whispered. Kenshin's eyes widened, gold flecks sparkling dangerously again. "Not yet."

His shoulders slumped. "Why?"

"Because I'm not ready. Because I never stopped loving you."

Understanding showed on his face and his sad smile returned to his lips. "So bet it." He took her hand in his and placed it to his heart, then bent his head to place a chaste kiss on her forehead and disappeared into the darkness.

Hiko found her moments later. She was still on the ground, tears silently streaming down her face, one hand stretched out before her, not having left where Kenshin had last held it to his heart. Hiko stooped down to pick her up from the ground and began walking towards her room with a distressed look on his face, sake jug forgotten in the grass.

When she realized that he had her and was moving her further away from Kenshin she lost it. "NO!" she screamed into the night as she tried to climb over his shoulders in her attempt to get to him. "KENSHIN!" But he didn't come for her. Hiko held her tightly and listened to her pitiful screams, his pace still slow and steady. She beat on him, clawed at his skin, trying to get free.

She admitted defeat when he slid the first shoji closed, creating a thing barrier between her and her husband. Her tears fell silent again and she slumped against his larger frame.

Once in her room she crumpled to the floor. After realizing that she needed help, he dressed her in one of her yukatas and placed her beneath the quilt on her futon. Her sobs doubled when he tried to move away from her. So he removed his gi and slid under the blanket with her. She moved into his warmth and cried herself to sleep.

"I know you're out there, Kenshin. I know you're listening to every word I say." He spoke clearly and quietly, not wanting to wake Kaoru. "Know this: I do not love this woman as you do, yet I will do everything in my power to protect her should you even consider harming her again. If she wants to welcome you home, I will gladly let her do so but you must let her come to the decision on her terms. Don't come near her again until I send word to you I'll move her to Kyoto with as soon as possible. You cannot hope to defeat me. You've been warned."

* * *

Outside the dojo Kenshin heard everything his master said, amber eyes glowing menacingly in the darkness. "I've heard everything you have to say, shishou. Don't underestimate your student. I **will** get my wife back. I swear it."

* * *

Thanks so much to those who have stayed with me so far. Your support is greatly appreciated. Please review and let me know how you feel. 


	5. Hiding From the Pain

Okay, so pretty long chapter here. Got some more lemon. YAY lemons!

Anywho, so Kenshin and I had a long talk the other night, thought you might enjoy a bit of the conversation.

Katerineious: Hi Kenshin, why do you look so sad?  
Kenshin: Kat-dono, why do you always make this one out to be such a wimp. Sessha loves Kaoru-dono very much that he does and would never treat her the way you have him in your stories.  
Katerineious: I know that, and you know that, but it does make for some interesting fanfictional drama.  
Kenshin: But it still upsets this one greatly.  
Katerineious: Why is that, Kenshin?  
Kenshin: Why do you pair Sessha's wife with Sessha's master?  
Katerineious: Kenshin, what part of fiction don't you understand?  
Kenshin: Kat-dono is avoiding my question. I see you starring at Shishou, Kat-dono, please quit drooling.  
Katerineious: _ whining _ But Kenshin! He's just soooooooooo sexy!  
Kenshin: _ sighs _ Back to my question . . .

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**Chapter 5: Hiding From the Pain**

Hiko woke the next morning before Kaoru. After watching to make sure her sleep wasn't too restless, he slid out of the futon, retrieved his gi and katana and silently left the room to go make breakfast, guessing that she wouldn't sleep much longer.

He was almost finished, waiting on the tea to finish brewing when Kenshin entered the room. Hiko knew when he had first entered the dojo and didn't bother turning around when he asked, "What do you want?"

Kenshin spoke softly, not wanting to alert Kaoru to his presence there. "I won't be long, Shishou." Hiko noticed tone of voice and turned around to look into those sad violet eyes. "I want to see her again."

"No."

"I want to talk to her, nothing more."

"Don't you think you've done more than enough? I know what happened last night." Kenshin eyes dropped in shame. "Why would you do that to her?" No answer. They stared at each other for a moment before Hiko asked his next question. "Why didn't you come for her when she called out to you?"

"You wouldn't have given her to me."

"You're right, I wouldn't. But if you had it would have shown her that you were trying to take care of her again and turned her anger towards me instead. I'll ask again, why didn't you come for her?"

"I . . . I don't know."

"Were you afraid?"

"Hai."

"Why?"

"Because she told me that she wasn't ready for me to come home yet." Kenshin turned his head away from Hiko so he wouldn't shown his master his tears. "I asked her last night and she said 'not yet.' What was I supposed to do? Especially now that I know that I might have lost her to you?"

Hiko crossed the room and put his hand on his apprentice's shoulder, waiting for Kenshin to face him again. When he finally resumed their eye contact, Hiko spoke. "Listen to me, Kenshin. She's in no state to see you so soon again. She needs to figure some things out before that. If you keep adding to her confusion she's never going to reach a decision." Kenshin opened his mouth to speak but Hiko cut him off. "I said listen to me. Three days. Give her three days to think. Give her three days without your presence bearing down on her. Three days to do whatever she needs to do to get through this. And I don't mean stay on the other side of the fence like you've been doing. Go to the other side of Tokyo, haunt one of the shrines as Shinomori does, something, anything far enough away from her that both of you are free of the other physically for those three days. After that, even if she has yet to reach a decision, I won't stop you from seeing her. But you must also promise that that is all it will be. Don't try to force yourself on her again. If you break either one of those conditions you forfeit your right to see her again until she has fully reached a decision. I'll have Saito arrest you if need be." Hiko could see the unanswered question haunting Kenshin's eyes. "And I'll tell you the same thing I told her: I'm not here to replace you. I came to make sure she was safe. I've done nothing she hasn't asked me to do and I want you to know that. My aim is not to steal her love away from you because I could never return it, and you needn't worry about it anyway because she only has eyes for you. This decision she has to make has nothing to do with me."

"Very well, Shishou. I'll return the morning of the fourth day. Do not inform Kaoru of this. I don't want her thinking that she only has three days to decide."

"I wasn't planning to. Now go, before she wakes up."

Kenshin gave a slight bow and was gone before Hiko could say anything else. Hiko placed the food and tea on a tray and headed back to Kaoru's room, not happy at all with the way things were going.

_

* * *

Kaoru was lying on her back on the futon, passionately kissing the man above her. His tongue forced its way into her mouth, tasting her, as one of his hands undid the tie to her yukata. He pulled away from her mouth, smiling at the gasp she made as the cool night air touch her hot skin. He opened her yukata fully and leaned back to look at her. "Beautiful . . ." he whispered into the night._

_Kaoru felt her cheeks grow warm from blushing. She looked into the eyes of the man above her. He was smiling lovingly down at her. She watched the pleased expressions on his face as his hands caressed her body. His face came closer to hers again and their lips met once more._

_This kiss was softer, each one giving and taking, neither trying for control. Kaoru moved her hands slowly up his bare back to his hair. She pulled the tie from his hair, releasing the fiery strands, relishing the feeling created as they cascading around his face and caressed her own. His hair created a dark barrier between the two lovers and the rest of the world and he deepened the kiss._

_Kaoru was out breath by the time his lips left hers to slowly travel along her jaw to her ear. As his lips and tongue danced along the sensitive skin his hands removed both their yukatas fully. His mouth slid down her neck to the tight peak of her breast as he pressed the length of his body along hers._

"_Kenshin . . ." she moaned as he transferred his attention to her other breast. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her._

_Kenshin released his hold on her breast and brought his mouth to hers once again. He lifted her body and wrapped his arms underneath her. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he thrust his tongue into her mouth again. One of her hands fisted in his hair as she moaned into his mouth, her hips moving involuntarily, rubbing herself along the length of him. Kenshin growled into her mouth in response and pressed himself firmly against her, heightening the sensation._

_He could feel her movements quickening underneath him and he deepened the kiss even further. Her nails scratched his back, her fingers pulled his hair, her moans growing louder and more frequent as she got closer and closer to her climax. Kenshin began to move his hips in time with hers and she pressed her body even closer to his. Then, in one swift motion he buried himself deep within her._

_The next moment he savored every second she was screaming into his mouth, their bodies wrapped tightly around each other. He released her mouth again, letting her catch her breath._

_Kaoru opened her heavy eyes to look at the man above her and let out a small sound of excitement. The pigment in the purple eyes above was so dark with lust they were almost black. "Arigato," she said weakly. He just smiled down at her. "Is it your turn yet?"_

"_No, not yet." His voice was deep and dripping with his need for her. She reached her hands up to gently play with his hair. He closed his eyes, enjoying her movements. "I want this to last."_

_He bent his head to kiss her again, but there was a pounding on the shoji that it should not have been able to withstand. Kenshin burst out of her arms with an angry sound like that a large cat. She watched as he quickly searched the room for his sakabato and rounded on her when he couldn't find it. He grabbed her shoulders, his eyes burning yellow fire as the pounding from the flimsy door resonated through the room. "You did this." His voice was lathered with hatred. "Where did you hide it? Why would you betray me?"_

"_KAORU!" Came the call from behind the shoji. The wood should have been a mass of splinters from the beating it had received and it showed no signs of weakening._

"_Go away! I don't know you!" she said through angry tears._

"_Why would you betray me, Kaoru?" Kenshin asked again._

"_I didn't." Kenshin leant over her, pressing her body to the floor, one hand one her throat. "NO!"

* * *

_

Kaoru sat up with such force that she was able to push Hiko off of her. She was shaking violently and looked around the room frightened. Her eyes passed over Hiko a dozen times before her mind registered he was there. When she saw the look in his eyes, she realized what had happened. Her body stilled and her breathing steadied. _"It was just a dream. It was just a dream."_

"Kaoru?"

"I'm fine. It, it was just a dream."

"That's right. You're safe."

Kaoru took in several deep breaths. "I know. I know."

When the room had been bathed in silence for a few moments and he was sure there wouldn't be an outburst from her he spoke. "Kaoru, are you hungry? I've already got breakfast prepared."

She turned her head to look at him. "Hai. I'm famished."

"Good," he said as he crossed the room to retrieve the tray he left by the wall. He placed the tray before her and stood by the wall again to watch her eat in silence. He waited until she had almost finished the food before speaking again. "Kaoru, are you sure you're alright? Is it because of what happened last night?"

"_Somewhat. It's a bit of everything. I wish everyone would just leave me alone. I know it's wrong to think that way after everything Hiko has done to help me through this, but I just need some alone time."_ "No, I'm fine. I'm still just a little shaken up from the dream."

"Wanna talk about it."

"No."

"You don't have to tell me the truth if you don't want to. I won't force it out of you."

Kaoru gave him a hard look before finishing the remainder of her breakfast. That's when she noticed there were two cups of tea on her tray. "Hiko?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you make me two cups of tea?"

"That one is your normal green tea," he said pointing to the cup on the left. "The other is another cup of what I gave you before to help you sleep. I thought you might like the option to spending day resting."

She picked up the cup on the left. "Arigato, but I think I've spent enough time in bed." After finishing the tea, she stood and handed the tray to him. "Arigato, for making breakfast for me again."

"No problem."

"I'm going to go practice. It's been almost a week since I was in the dojo."

* * *

Kaoru moved through her katas with grace, grateful that her movements hadn't started to get rusty from lack of exercise in the past few days. She was pleased that Hiko desired his solitude as much as he did because after seeing her safely into the dojo he had gone to locate his abandoned sake from the previous night and place himself in a secluded corner. 

For the first hour Kaoru went through her routine with enthusiasm, completely focused on her task. However, as her energy slowly waned, her mind began to wander to subjects other than the one at hand.

By the end of the second hour her train of thought had completely turned around. One thing her mind refused to lose focus on was the dream. Pieces of it snaked into her thoughts, taunting her. She kept seeing Kenshin's face and no matter which way she turned she could feel his eyes upon her. Her skin was burning from remembering his touches.

"Oh, Kami-sama! Why?" Kaoru cried out in anger and frustration as she threw her bokken across the dojo where it hit the wall with a loud crash. She fell to the ground, fists clenched by her side, angry tears cascading down her face.

"KENSHIN! I HATE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?" Kaoru beat on the hardwood floor with her fists. "I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE! I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING TO ME! WHY DO I STILL LOVE YOU SO MUCH? WHY CAN'T I JUST LET YOU GO? WHY WON'T YOU LET ME GO?" Her fists were clenched so tightly that her nails drew blood. "WHY CAN'T YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT?" Kaoru drew her knees under her and put her forehead on them. "Why don't I know what I want?"

"Kaoru?" Hiko asked softly from the doorway.

"H-Hiko."

"Kenshin can't hear you."

"I'm shouting loud enough aren't I?"

"That's not the problem. He left so the decision would be easier for you."

"He left again?"

"I thought you wanted him gone."

"I did. I do. For now . . ."

"You know he'll be back, this isn't permanent."

"I know."

"Then why are you so upset."

Kaoru didn't answer him. She stared straight ahead until he came to kneel a couple feet away from her. She spooked, pushing away shouting, "Don't touch me."

"I wasn't going to. What's wrong, Kaoru." She still refused to answer him. "I just want to know what's wrong so I can help you if I can. I know you're suffering. Let me help you, Kaoru."

When she finally spoke in was in a small, hesitant voice. "Do you really want to help me?"

Hiko's face betrayed his confusion. "I wouldn't offer if I didn't."

"How serious are you?"

"I'll do anything you need me to do to help you through this."

Kaoru contemplated his answer before taking the master swordsman by surprise by jumping into his arms and pressing her lips against his. Hiko waited for the shock to pass before responding to her, moving his lips with hers. She wrapped her fingers tightly in his hair, her legs closing around his waist. His arms closed around her smaller frame, one holding the back of her head as he began to lean over her. She opened her mouth in response, letting him taster her fully.

The kiss lasted until Kaoru pulled away for air. Hiko opened his eyes and looked at her questioningly. "I don't understand."

"The dream," she said as if that explained everything.

"You're going to have to elaborate."

"I had a dream about Kenshin. I don't know how to explain it other than my body is on fire from remembering his touches. I need you to make it stop. I don't want to remember that. If I do then I've already had my mind made up for me."

"And you really think this will help?"

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because it helped last time."

"I don't see where it did more than increase your pain."

"I'm actually alive again. I'm not just going through the motions." She paused and looked again into his eyes. "I can say his name again." Hiko didn't answer so she deftly removed his gi and let it fall to the floor behind him.

In response he puts his hands on her shoulders to force her to look at him again. "Your husband returned to you. If this is what you want then you need to tell him. I'm sure I can find him easily."

Kaoru shook her head. "I don't want Kenshin. I want you because you haven't hurt me like he has. This isn't about looking for a new relationship. This isn't about love. I just want to forget everything, put it all behind me, if only for a small moment in time." At seeing the hurt and betrayal on her face he pulled her lips back to his again.

When he broke the kiss she saw the need burning in his eyes. Too quick for her feel, much less see he removed their clothing and had her on all fours on the floor. He positioned himself behind her and pressed himself to her entrance.

"I'm not ready."

"I know." His voice was deeper than normal, almost raspy. He put his hands on her breasts and bit hard between her shoulder blades before quickly sheathing himself inside her. She cried out, her body convulsing around him as the orgasm was forced upon her.

"What did you do?" she asked when she had enough air.

He moved so he was positive he wouldn't crush her under his weight. He began to roughly massage her breasts roughly before answering her. He was having a hard time controlling himself. "You're so tight, it forced you body into it."

Kaoru began to grunt in answer but it was quickly changed to a moan as he pulled back out of her. His motions were slow at first, as he made room for himself. He moved faster and deeper with each thrust, holding her to him tightly. He was holding her breasts so strongly she was sure they would bruise. He was deeper than he had been last time because the position. Kaoru was releasing small noises of pain and pleasure as he reached the end of her passage repeatedly. She let out a scream when his teeth finally broke through the skin on her back and then none to gently sucked the wound clean of blood.

He removed his left hand from her breast and moved his right to that breast so he could still hold her up. His free hand closed lightly in her hair, extracting another sound of pain as he turned her head to look at him. "Did you enjoy that?" He had to loosen his hold so she could nod, almost beyond words. He moved to bite down on her top of her shoulder, never breaking eye contact. Half a minute later she was screaming from her second release.

Her arms gave out and she collapsed to the ground as the last wave of pleasure broke over her. A silent laugh built deep in Hiko's chest as he used his arms to hold them both up. "Sop hat," she slurred when she felt him laughing against her backside. "'Snot funny."

"You sound drunk." He bent down to put his mouth to her ear, his voice again deep and husky. "My turn," he whispered, his voice thick with the promise of more. Kaoru had enough time to let her eyes widen but had to finish releasing her gasp of excitement with her back pressed against the far wall of the dojo.

She was facing him now, her legs again around his waist. Using the wall as a brace he began to move himself in and out of her, making her cry out with need. Hiko moved his mouth to her breast, suckling and biting greedily. Her right hand was again in his hair, pulling his just as hard as he had hers. Her left was slowly clawing its way diagonally across his back. He moved his mouth to the base of her throat and began his task again, drawing blood for the second time that night. She cried loudly out from the sensations.

"Come for me," he said in a husky, imposing voice.

"I can't do it again."

"That wasn't a request." He pulled his mouth away from her skin so he could thrust into her better, the height difference making some things impossible to do simultaneously.

Kaoru could feel the wall groaning in protest behind her as the larger man took her. She could feel the warmth rebuilding in her stomach as he moved within her. Her third orgasm was longer in bringing but the feelings were more than amplified as she called out louder than ever, conscious of every nerve in her body.

Hiko wasn't but two thrusts from joining her. He buried himself deeply one last time and closed his eyes as his larger body quivered above hers and he released himself into her. His knees buckled and they slid to the floor, neither releasing the other, waiting for the tremors to stop wrecking their bodies.

Then, just as quickly as it began it was over, the entire episode taking no more than ten minutes. When the sound of heavy breathing no longer fill the dojo, Hiko placed his hands on her tiny waist and pulled her off him. She whimpered in protest as her sore muscles flexed but she was too exhausted to move any part of her body voluntarily. He put one hand under her knees, the other behind her head and carried her to the bath he had prepared before finding her in the dojo.

As he lowered their bodies into the steamy water, Kaoru snuggled closer into his large chest and spoke in a voice hoarse from screaming. "You weren't lying."

"About what?"

"You're not gentle. Not gentle at all."

* * *

Kaoru was in her room, examining the fresh wounds in her mirror. They were sore and would be for a few days. _"Kenshin's coming back any day now. There's no way these will be gone before he gets back. He was so mad about the first one." _She put her hand to the side of her neck were the mark had almost faded, not as deep as the new ones. She smiled sadly, thinking that it was just one more obstacle she and Kenshin had to overcome. 

She put on a clean kimono and went to Hiko's room to pick up a clean set of clothes for him as she had said she would. As she walked to the bathhouse she smiled, impressed that she had managed to get her way with the master swordsman that day. He had tried to get out of the bath first, but she had worn him down, knowing he would enjoy the relaxing water more than she would. She knocked on the door but didn't wait for permission to enter. Hiko was still in the water, his head back, long dark hair fanning around his muscular body.

"Hiko, I brought your clothes. They're by the towels. Meet me in the kitchen when you're done." She heard a grumbled "arigato" has she left the steamy building and headed to the kitchen.

She was just pouring the tea into the cups when he entered the room and sat down across from her. He spoke as he took his cup from her hand. He had been trying to figure out her expression and resigned himself to asking when he couldn't. "Do you regret it?" he asked in all seriousness.

"No, I don't. Do you?"

"There are few things in this life I waste energy fretting over. That is not one of them." He took a drink from his cup. "I know how angry Kenshin was when he saw the mark on your neck and now you have two more. I'll apologize for the repercussions of my actions, but not for doing them. I didn't want to make this any harder for you but it seems I have." Kaoru let a small smile spread across her face. "What?"

"It's just that I was thinking about the same thing a few minutes ago. I know he going to be angry with me—furious is more like it. I don't know exactly what his reaction is going to be. But he has to understand that I need to know that he's serious about coming home. That he isn't going to take this lightly and just expect things to fall back into the places they were in when he left. He has to be willing to forgive me and move forward just like I'm going to have to do with him. Otherwise there's no point in trying."

"That's a wise compromise, and likely the only one that will work in this situation. However, I wonder how well your relationship can be rebuilt after my interference."

"Your involvement is in no way responsible for whatever the outcome is. There are more than enough other complications to work through for any one to be the deciding factor."

"So does this mean you're letting him come back?"

She shook her head. "No. I won't know the answer to that until we've talked and at least attempted to work out some of our problems. I'm not sure if it's even possible for us to move past all this and we need to figure that out before we try for anything permanent again."

* * *

Kaoru spent the next two days training and catching up on the chores that had been piling up around the dojo. Even though her nightmares had been absent the previous two nights she still hadn't slept that well and was exhausted as she sat on the porch after finishing supper, watching the last rays of light fighting against the invading darkness in the sky. 

Hiko came and sat behind her, bringing a cup of tea and his sake jug with him. He placed his hands on her shoulder to give her a massage, having noted how stiff her movements were that night because her muscles were so sore.

"Arigato."

"I brought you some tea." He paused long enough to hand her the warm cup. "Here."

"Arigato." She took as sip and made a gagging noise. "Not this stuff again!"

"Kaoru, both your body and mind are exhausted. You owe it to yourself to sleep well tonight. Please, just drink it and put my mind at ease."

"Fine."

Hiko smiled, knowing she would have drunk it anyway and that she just wanted to argue for appearance's sake. His hands kept their task, loosing the knots that had formed in her neck and back.

"Hiko?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you see how pretty the stars are tonight?"

"Hai."

"Do you think that maybe Kenshin's looking up at them as well? I used to spend hours staring up at them right after he left, wondering the same thing because I wanted to believe that there was still something out there connecting us together and that just maybe he was looking up at them thinking of me as well. That was when I thought I would never see him again. Sounds silly doesn't it?"

"Not at all. I did the same thing for the first few years after he left me to join the chaos that was the Bakumatsu. I heard the fearful tales of the Hitokiri Battosai and would gaze at the stars, wondering if anything of the sweet and innocent boy I'd raised was still there. The boy who was so filled with compassion and strength of spirit that his tiny heart could barely contain it all. It took fifteen years to receive an answer to that question."

"I never knew."

"Nobody does. I doubt he even knows."

"I'm sure he knows that you care for him. You're more like his father than master." Kaoru tried and failed to stifle a yawn as the tea began to take effect. "I know he can see through the insults and knows that's your way of showing him your proud of him."

Hiko snorted. "Still, I'd prefer it if you wouldn't say anything to him."

"I won't." Another yawn escaped her mouth.

Hiko stood and then helped her to her feet after placing the tea cup on the floor beside his sake jug. "If you don't go to bed now you'll fall asleep here and you're body will be all the worse for it."

"Hai," she yawned as she headed off to her room, still unaware that her husband would be returning in the morning.

"You're going to need all the strength you can get for tomorrow, Kaoru," he whispered as he returned her cup to the kitchen.

* * *

Later that night Hiko was sitting in the yard, again gazing at the stars. His dark eyes rested on the moon for a long moment before he filled the saucer for his sake, thinking about how his routine had been changed these last few days. He drained his first and filled an extra saucer, placing it in the grass beside him before filling his a second time. He placed the dish to his lips and closed his eyes, absorbing the night and thinking that the sake tasted better now that he had the time to appreciate it again. He felt the cool air sneaking its way under his mantle and heard a sound of rustling fabric next to him. He opened his eyes just in time to watch a pale hand lift the other saucer from the still ground. "I thought you said you wouldn't return until morning." 

"I couldn't stay away any longer. I was going mad. I won't go any nearer to her than this until my time is up." There was a pause as he took a sip of the liquid. "Besides, I would have missed drinking sake with my shishou and you would have been cross with me for it."

"Fair enough." He said before filling his dish a third time, waiting for Kenshin to ask the question that was ready to burst from his lips.

After a few moments of silence, a small and defeated "Why?" came from the redhead, a hurt look on his face.

"Do not look to place this blame upon her. If you need to be angry with some one, let the anger fall on me." Hiko moved to pour more sake into both dishes. "I know what else you want to ask me and the answer is yes, Kaoru is still in love with you."

"That doesn't mean she's reached a decision. I've missed her so much these past months. I just couldn't face her until I came to terms with things on my own." He sighed sadly. "I'll never forgive myself if I've managed to drive her away from me forever." He turned his head to look at his master. "Has she told you if she's decided if I can truly return?"

"Hai, she has," although the look on the older man's face told Kenshin that he might not be happy with the result.

* * *

Okay, so I'm only planning on posting one more chapter, two max, but the good news is that when I'm done with this one I'm going to retry my original idea for a Hiko/Kaoru fic. Also I've got the opening paragraphs of four more (not all romance but certainly all Kenshin) started so be on the lookout in the new future. 

Please, please review. Input is appreciated and ideas are always considered.


	6. Reconciliation

I know that I took a long time to update this, but I hope that the length of the chapter will make up for it. I got some serious writer's block on this chapter and I just couldn't get over it. Please enjoy the last chapter. It's fully of angry, possessive, hot, kinky lemon.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Reconciliation**

Kenshin was lying on the futon next to Kaoru, one hand running through her soft dark hair, waiting patiently for her to wake up. He wasn't sure how long he had been there, just staring at her, nor did he know how much longer he would have to wait. Hiko had told him about the tea he had given Kaoru the night before and Kenshin had felt it was a good decision. He certainly didn't want her moody and short with him from lack of sleep. The two swordsmen had stayed outside all night, the conversation light, not really talking to each other. After the sun rose Hiko allowed Kenshin to go to Kaoru's room and wait for her.

He was so deep in thought that he failed to notice the azure eyes open to look at him. It wasn't until he heard a soft, "Good morning, Kenshin," from Kaoru's yawning mouth that he realized she was awake.

There was a loving smile on his face as he looked down at her. "Good morning, Kaoru-koishii. I told you I would always come back to you; it just took me a little longer than planned this time. Please forgive me."

Kaoru smiled at him and scooted closer to him, warming herself in his embrace. Her head was tucked to his chest, his chin resting on top of it, his breathing tickling her ears as hers did his collarbone. "It was never a question of me forgiving you, Kenshin. It only mattered if you could forgive yourself. You had to come back in order to do that and it took you so long to return that I had lost hope." Her hands clutched the fabric of his gi, clinging to him. "I was so afraid, Kenshin. I never thought you would leave me alone like that. It hurt so much." Kaoru was trying very hard not to cry.

"And I'll never be able to make it up to you. No matter how many times I apologize, there's nothing I can do that will make what I did right. I should never have left you alone to deal with that."

Tears were slowly escaping Kaoru's eyes, but Kenshin didn't notice. "I still don't understand why you felt the need to leave after what happened. Maybe if I know the reason I can accept it better."

He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head before resting his cheek there. "You're right in assuming I left because of that. But I left because I was afraid of making you suffer more because I saw the loss as a punishment for the crimes I've committed. I needed to get away to deal with it on my own. I didn't want you to see my pain any more than you had to. But I **never** intended to stay away for that long. I always meant to return to you."

"Why didn't you just tell me? I would have given you all the time you needed and not suffered so much myself. I would have understood that you weren't upset at me for not being able to carry a healthy child for you—that you weren't mad at me for taking that away from you."

"How could you even begin to think that I would blame you for our loss? I couldn't stand seeing the pain on your face. It cut me so deeply when all I've ever wanted is to make you happy and knowing that you suffered that great a loss because of my sins was to much to bear. I was selfish and foolish and I swear I will never behave that way again. Aishiteru and I want us to try again whenever you're ready."

"Mo aishiteru, Kenshin."

Kenshin felt the wetness on his chest. "Kaoru, why are you crying?"

"I don't know. I just can't stop."

"Please don't cry. You've already cried so much because of me. It isn't fair to you." He loosened his hold on her so he could slide down to see her face. Showing her the tears brimming in his own eyes and the sad smile placed on his lips. "Please, Kaoru, if you keep crying I won't be able to stop my own tears."

"Gomen, Kenshin, but I don't know how."

"Don't, Kaoru. Don't apologize to me. Don't ever feel that you need to apologize to me."

"But I do, Kenshin. I mean, how can you forgive me for what I've done?"

"Easily—the same way you've forgiven me over and over for everything I've done to you." He brushed his lips softly against hers in a chaste kiss. "I will always, **always** love you, Kaoru-koishii. No matter what happens." Kaoru couldn't hold the flood of tears back any longer and was incapable of answering him. "Shh, it's alright, I've got you." He put his hands on her cheeks and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears as his own dropped onto his arms. "No more tears." Kaoru took in a few deep breaths to calm herself before nodding, showing him that she was fine. "Shishou left some tea outside your room for us. Would you like some?"

"Hai, but I want to sit outside."

"That's fine." He said as he got up and then helped her to her feet. He walked across the room and opened the shoji for her. After helping her sit down on the porch he went to retrieve the tea. He placed the tray down between them and she poured them each a cup. "Arigato," he said as he took the one she held out to him.

They sat in silence long enough for Kaoru to refill their cups twice. "Kaoru?" he asked tentatively.

"I finally decided what I want." She could feel her heart beating so fast she thought it might burst from her chest. She took a deep breath to steady herself before turning to look at him. "I want you to come home, for good."

"I want to come home. You know that."

"I know you do now, but I need to know that no matter what happens you're here to stay. If you think you might ever be tempted to leave me again, then you need to leave now so it doesn't hurt so much later."

"I can't promise that the temptation to run and hide from the hurt that I place on your face and in your eyes won't be there. But I'll never give into it again."

* * *

Hiko came by Kaoru's room to see if everything was alright. He had felt her ki as she woke up and hadn't felt any strong emotions coming from the room, but that didn't mean anything. As he turned the corner he noticed that the tray with the tea was missing and knew that they were sitting outside. He looked at the closed shoji and could just see the couple's outlines lean into the other as the sun shone brightly into the open room. He smiled to himself and began heading to the other side of the dojo when he felt a strong burst of rage and heard a loud crash behind him.

Hiko turned on his heel and hurried to reach the room. He heard scuffling from inside and threw the shoji opened in time to duck the tea cup that would have hit where his face had been. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kaoru yelled as Kenshin curled into a defensive position. "GET OUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO ACT THIS WAY!"

"I ordered you to never let another man touch you that way again. You disobeyed me." His voice was frighteningly level

"NO I DIDN'T!"

"You knew I was going to return. Did you really think those marks would be gone before I got back? How could you betray me like that?"

"IT'S NOT LIKE YOU WERE HERE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! IF YOU HADN'T LEFT THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED!"

"So you want to blame me for your lack of control? It's all my fault?"

"DAMN RIGHT IT IS! ISNT' THAT WHAT YOU SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO? THAT YOU FORGAVE ME AND THAT IT WAS OKAY NOW! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A HYPOCRITE!"

Neither had noticed Hiko enter the room. He looked from Kaoru to Kenshin, an angry look on his face. He noticed the red spot on Kaoru's cheek, watched as Kenshin ever so slightly turned his foot, ready to spring at her and decided it was time to intervene.

"Stop it, both of you."

Kenshin turned his menacing gaze towards his master, finally acknowledging his presence. "**You**." Even Hiko had the sense to tread carefully upon hearing the threat in that single word.

"Shut it."

"How could you?" Kenshin straightened up and took as step closer to Hiko. "How could you touch her again? You could have at least told me last night when I asked you about the first time!"

"You were here last night?" Kaoru said indignantly but the both ignored her.

"You didn't ask," Hiko said as though it didn't really matter.

Kenshin growled low in his throat, his eyes flashing evilly. He took three steps to his right, placing himself between Kaoru and Hiko. "She is mine."

"No one's trying to take her from you."

"You did. Otherwise you wouldn't have done that."

"I only did what I was asked. I've already told you I did not come here to replace you." Hiko was having a difficult time keeping his own anger in check. He knew that if he showed anything but his normal attitude it would set Kenshin off in an instant and he couldn't be sure what the result would be.

It was obvious that his words weren't penetrating Kenshin's anger. "I won't let you or anyone else have her. **She. Is. Mine**."

"Then maybe you should reclaim on her."

"WOULD YOU TWO QUIT TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE!" Again, her protest fell on deaf ears.

"There she is." Hiko said, pointing behind Kenshin. Trying to goad him into directly reacting to something he said. "If you truly want her, take her back. Now."

"I may do that."

"Do it or get out. Those are your options."

He glanced at his wife behind him before speaking. "Leave." The word was barely more than a whisper, hissing from the redhead's lips. "If she really means nothing to you then leave the dojo."

"Finally, a sensible reaction." Hiko turned on his heel once again and swiftly exited the room. "Have fun, baka deshi," he said under his breath as he went by his room to grab his sake jug before leaving. He made sure to lock the gate, not sure what would befall any unsuspecting visitors who might happen by, and walked down the road looking forward to spending a relaxing day by the river.

* * *

"Come." It was a command that left no room for negotiation but Kaoru stood her ground, her eyes just as angry as his. He stretched out his left arm, "Come to me." Kaoru could see the anger and danger burning in his eyes, but still she didn't move. "Kaoru, come here." There was a dark need leading his other emotions in a fierce dance through those golden eyes. "Kaoru. Now." His impatience was growing. She wanted to go to him, the urge inside her almost winning the battle, but at the same time she was afraid. She knew what was waiting for her in those arms.

Kenshin moved behind her quickly, one hand on her throat, his mouth at her right ear. "You try my patience. You are mine. You will always be mine, and you will obey me." She whimpered as he ran his index finger across the marks on her neck. "I can see from the marks on your neck that you enjoyed Shishou's roughness. I always forced myself be gentle with you before, pushing myself to the edge of self-control. However, today, your precious rurouni is gone and you get the Battosai's complete attention." He tightened his fingers on her throat. "How does that sound?"

Kaoru wanted him. She wanted that dangerous and fierce man that Kenshin had kept buried so deep within himself. But she also wanted to keep her pride. "It sounds like rape to me."

"Rape implies that you aren't willing." He pulled her body as close to his as possible and inhaled deeply. "The idea excites you. I can **smell** it." He slid his free hand underneath the sash holding her yukata closed and slowly moved it to where he could untie the knot. "You want me, Kaoru. Admit it." His whispers were soft and threatening at the same time, making her shudder. "You want me to take you just as roughly as Shishou did, don't you?" He quickly removed the strip of fabric and flung it across the room and spun her around to face him so fast that it dizzied her. He made eye contact her and bent his face down to hers. "Answer me."

Kaoru realized then that she needed air and drew in a deep breath. She couldn't look away from his possessive gaze. She felt her determination ebbing away and knew that she would soon be lost. She had just enough willpower to verbally deny her need one last time, "I wanted Kenshin to come home. Not you."

He used his other hand to press her lower body to his were she could feel his need through the fabric, her yukata still closed. The hand at her throat moved up into her hair and tightly grasped the loose strands. He pulled hard on her hair, forcing her to begin leaning backwards, pushing the rest of her even closer to him. He tightened his hold on her hair, extracting a small sound. He leant over her, his voice dripping with lust, his eyes glaring at her possessively. "You cannot have one without the other and I'm not leaving."

He moved his mouth to hers in a possessive kiss. He gave her the option of opening her mouth to him or hurting herself. She chose the former. His tongue darted inside—touching, tasting, taking. With each moan she made his lips became rougher until she was all but screaming inside his mouth from the sensations. He could sense that she was quickly running out of air and pulled back to watch her.

"_How the hell does he do that to me? Damn him!"_ Kaoru's eyes were livid. She was able to move her hands to his chest and tried to push him off her but he pulled her tightly to him, trapping her arms between their bodies.

"I'm not going anywhere." He pulled back and used one of his hands to further separate the fabric of her yukata. He trailed up her stomach and clutched at one of her breasts. "I can see the look in your eyes, koishii." He eyes narrowed. He leant down to her ear, biting hard on her earlobe and spoke through barely parted teeth. "You're furious right now." She started to move in an attempt to put some distance between them but both his arms snaked around her and locked in place, preventing further movement. "I told you I'm not going anywhere. And neither are you." He moved he mouth away from her ear and used just the tip of his tongue to lick slowly from her jaw to her temple.

"Please, Kenshin."

"Too late. You gave yourself to me and then betrayed me. I think punishment is in order." He pulled back to see the fear in her eyes. But it was overshadowed by the lust. He pulled a handful of her hair to his face and inhaled her scent deeply. Her scent, she belonged to him. "Woman of mine," he said with a glance down her body, "I am going to enjoy this. Do not look so frightened, I can sense how much you want it. How it excites you that the Battosai, the assassin of legend, is going to let go of his carefully kept control and bring you screaming to pleasure you've never known before." He again lowered his face to hers menacingly. "Shishou is a rough lover, yes, but I'm a dangerous one. Violent. Can you handle it?"

That was it, her control was gone. Snapped into thousands of little pieces that were set aflame from the fire growing within her, never to be pieced back together. But just because her control was gone, didn't mean she couldn't play along with this very dangerous man who held her. She would do her best to match the Battosai. Determination aside, she was still breathless when she spoke. "Do I really have a choice?"

"No. You don't." He grabbed her wrists, one each hand, and moved them behind her back and held them both with his left hand, his right free to hold her to him by wrapping around her waist. He gave a small tug and she was again leaning over backwards with him over her. He placed his face at the base of her neck and inhaled her scent again. "**Mine**," he whispered over her skin, his breath making her shudder. He kissed his way up to her the corner of her mouth. "Something's changed." He bit her bottom lip. "You've decided to see things my way." He bit again. "Good."

Just as he was about to move his mouth to a different part of her body Kaoru moved her head and pressed her lips against his. Kenshin didn't hesitate to return her actions. As she opened her mouth to him again, he pulled down on her wrists, harder this time, forcing her over more, the arm wrapped around her waist was the only thing that kept her from falling over completely.

She could feel that her wrists were going to be bruised from the pressure he was putting on them put but she didn't care. She wanted him. She pressed her body against his and felt him growl into her mouth. She wanted more. She moaned and he loosened his grip on her wrists and helped her bring them around his neck so she wouldn't fall.

He was now able to place his hands on her sides and pull her to him and deepen the kiss even further. He heard her moan again and felt as she slowly began to shift her weight and snake one leg around his. He pulled back from the kiss. "You almost had me." There was blatant anger in his voice. He saw her eyes widen questioningly and hitched the leg she had moved around his hip in answer. "I'm in control here. You'd best remember that." She nodded silently.

He moved one hand up to roughly grab her breast, extracting a pleasured gasp. Kaoru threw her head back when he began to roll one pert nipple between his thumb and index finger. She began to slid one hand down at his chest, then grunted in frustration were the fabric of his gi connected. She moved to untuck it from his hakama but a hard pinch stopped her actions.

"I don't remember you asking for permission."

The look in his eyes frightened her. "C-can I?"

He put is face less than an inch away from hers, almost melting her with the heat of his gaze. "Can you what?"

"Can I take off your gi?"

"Can you?"

"M-may I?"

"Hai, now that you've remembered your manners." He pulled back so she could do what he gave permission for. She pulled gently at the fabric, taking her time so as not to startle him. He held her chin in his fingers and titled her face up to look at him. "Don't expect another warning," he said as the fabric slid to the ground with a hiss. "Satisfied?"

"For now."

He smiled. Her right leg was still around his waist and her left almost gave out from the feelings that smile placed within her. He let out a low chuckle at her reaction and moved the hand that held her breast to her thigh. Kenshin's hand moved teasingly across her creamy flesh and came to rest on her hip and bent his face down to hers again.

"I want you Himura Kaoru. I want you screaming my name out like you've never done before. I want you covered in sweat and begging me for a release. I want you so completely spent that you won't want to move for days." His eyes flashed. "I want you to never look at another man again. **You are mine**."

Before she could answer she found herself lying on her stomach with Kenshin sitting above her, straddling her hips. Her yukata was gone, as well as his hakama and she could feel his arousal pressed to the small of her back.

He placed his mouth at her left ear. "There's so much I would like to do to you right now. But I'm afraid that you wouldn't comprehend most of it right. Too fast for you." She turned her head to look back at him as one of his hands caressed her backside. "We'll work on that another day." She nodded. "I'm glad you agree because you really don't have a choice in the matter." She shook her head no, agreeing with him. "I see you finally understand the situation." He flipped her on her back. "Who's in charge here?" he asked haughtily as he pressed himself to her opening.

"Y-you," she moaned, that touch nearly sending her over the edge.

"You do well to remember it. It'll save you a great deal of pain." He rubbed himself against her and growled low in his chest before lowering his chest to lay himself along the length of her. He moved his left hand to her breast, keeping the right on her hip.

She arched her back in an effort to touch more of him. Her arms were around his neck, one reaching to undo the tie holding his hair back.

"Kaoru . . ." he growled.

She let out a squeak, remembering that she had to ask for permission. "May I let your hair down?" He contemplated it for a few seconds. "Please?"

"Why do you want it down?"

"Because I like it when you wear it down."

"Maybe later. I want it left up for now." He smirked at her pout. "It's gets in my way sometimes," whispered into her ear before biting down on her neck just below it. He lifted his lower body from hers, extracting more than a few whimpers of protest that were silenced when he slid two fingers deep inside her.

Kaoru loved the attentions she was getting spread across her body. He began to stroke her, adding to the fire already raging within her. There was a feral smile on his lips as she began to move her hips against his hand, his thumb moving against that sweet nubbin of flesh on the exterior of her body while he pumped his fingers in and out of her. Her fingers scratched at his back, pulled at his hair, desperate for more.

"Please . . ." she moaned.

"I'm afraid that this is all you get for now," he said against her skin before returning his teeth to her flesh.

She sighed in frustration before pressing her breasts against his chest. "I want . . . you." She had to struggle to get the words out between her ragged breaths as his hand quickened its speed.

"Not yet." He captured her lips in a strong kiss as Kaoru frantically tried to touch more of him. "Come for me. This is the only chance you get. Don't let the opportunity slip by."

His hand moved even faster, his strokes stronger. The feral look in his eyes sent shivers down her spine with the promise of what was to come. "Kenshin . . ." she moaned as she felt the heat within her building to an unbearable level.

He bent his face down to the dip in her shoulder and bit her fiercely, immediately breaking through the skin. He could feel the muscles of her core contracting violently against his fingers just before her scream of both pain and pleasure broke the silence. She clutched herself to him, waiting for the waves to stop washing over her, but they didn't stop and she couldn't stop crying out. His fingers kept their rhythm until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop . . . please, Kenshin . . . stop . . ."

"You want me to stop? Don't you like it, koishii?"

"I . . . do, but . . . please . . . no more."

He didn't give any warning, just pulled his fingers away from her. He body sagged down to the floor as the sensations stopped. She opened her eyes to find him licking her juices off his wet fingers.

Kaoru reached her arm out lazily, just close enough that she could lightly trail one nail from his hip to his neck. "Kenshin . . ."

"Kaoru." It was an answer, a question, a declaration, a request, an accusation, and a confession all at once.

She whimpered and he came to her, wrapping her in his arms, the hard look on his face softening ever so slightly. He brushed the sweaty locks of hair away from her face where they were sticking to her cheeks before he again captured her lips in a possessive kiss.

It was a short kiss, but he made his point: This was nowhere close to being finished. When broke he began a trail down her body. Kissing and biting where he wanted. He paid special attention to the base of her neck, her breasts, and her naval. Lower and lower, until he reached the nest of down and suddenly moved.

He began his ministrations again, this time working his way up from her left knee. Every few inches he would bite and suckle then continue on his way upward when he was satisfied with the mark. This continued until he reached the inside of her leg where her thigh connected to her torso. At this spot he bit fiercely enough to break the skin immediately, causing her to scream in pain. She tried to sit up but his strong arms held her down and a quick glare silenced her. When Kenshin was satisfied with the wound he began sucking, the pressure great enough to stop the bleeding after just a few seconds.

Kaoru was biting her bottom lip in order to stop herself from crying out from the pain. A lone tear escaped her eye and at that instant Kenshin's head rose to remake eye contact. Fury passed through his eyes as he saw the drop of liquid sliding down her cheek. He reached up and collected it on his fingertip before inserting it into his mouth. He placed his body above hers again and looked down at her. "Kaoru."

"Hai?"

"You are to be silent and still while you receive this part of your punishment. You are not to make any noise whatsoever until I allow you to again. You are not to move unless I expressly tell you. Nothing. Am I understood?"

Kaoru nodded her head slightly. Kenshin smiled maliciously above her, and he saw the fear widening her eyes. "Let us see how well you learn." He thrust himself in her upon completing his sentence. He saw her jaw tighten and her muscles flexing as she forced herself to obey him. "So you do know how to behave." He pulled out until just the tip of him was inside her. "Shall I test your limits? Shall I see how much control you have while I praise your body with my own? Shall I tempt you into disobeying me just to see how much you can withstand before it sends you over the edge?" She nodded in answer as he drove back inside her. "I told you earlier that had only one chance to come for me. You are not allowed to repeat it until I've decided its time to end this." He pulled out of her again. "Do you understand?" He thrust again, harder than the times before. Kaoru nodded. "Good."

The next instant he was moving in and out of her so forcefully she was sure the floor beneath them would collapse. He grabbed her legs, hitching them over his elbows, opening her up to him. This stretched the skin of her thighs and she wanted to cry out in pain as the wound from earlier reopened. She wanted to hold onto him, to move with him, to ease the fire within her but she resisted. She fisted her hands and closed her eyes tightly.

"No, koishii. Open your eyes. I want to watch you." Reluctantly she obeyed him. Her onyx orbs looked into his golden ones pleadingly. "Good girl. You keep behaving and I might have to reward you." He pulled on her legs in order to lift her hips into the air and plunge himself deeper within her. He watched her eyes widen and her mouth open as she drew in a deep breath, steadying herself. "Do you like that?" She nodded. The speed of his thrusts increased. "Do you want more?" She nodded again. "Are you going to disobey me?" She shook her head no. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "We'll see." The next instant he used his god-like speed to pull completely out of her, slide down her body, and burry his face in the space previously occupied by his hips.

Kaoru tensed every muscle in her stomach in order to stop herself from jerking up. She drew in a raspy breath as he bit the bundle of nerves above her opening, sending electricity through her body. She dug her nails into her hands, sending rivets of blood escaping from her clenched fists as he thrust his tongue deep inside her. Her teeth tore into her bottom lip to stop her from calling out and tears ran down her face as he bit her again, more forcefully this time and then began sucking on her again.

He used his tongue to lick her from bottom to top before lifting off her and placing a quick kiss on her stomach. He lifted his eyes to hers and noticed the tears and blood on her face. "Kaoru," he said as he moved up her body to bring his face level with her own. "Crying is a sign of weakness. If you continue doing I will be forced to persuade you why you shouldn't. Is that what you want?" She shook her head no. "No more tears?" She shook her head again. Kenshin bent his head and began to lick the blood off her lips. "Also, no more biting your lip. I'm the only one allowed to draw the blood from you body." He unexpectedly thrust himself back into her. "Do you understand me?" She shook her head yes but her eyes told him she wanted to tell him something else. "What is it?"

She knew she still wasn't allowed to speak so she slowly unclenched her fists and brought her bloody hands into his sight. He sat up, burying himself deeper in the process, and sighed as he took her hands in his. He brought them to his face and licked them free of blood, the right first and then the left.

Kaoru release a small sigh and closed her eyes at the calming sensations. She knew it wouldn't last much longer, that she was still due for more of Kenshin's 'punishment', but she relished the feeling of his tongue against the palms of her hands. In a way it was more intimate than what they been doing minutes earlier.

Kenshin felt her body relax as he cleaned her hands. He smiled against her skin, knowing that she was completely at his mercy. She still had followed his instructions exceedingly well and he decided he would give her a small reward as he pulled the pulled the middle finger of her left hand into his mouth. He looked down at her and saw the smile on her face. He noticed that her eyes were closed and gently nipped her finger to get her attention.

Kaoru opened her eyes to watch Kenshin removed her finger from his mouth and then proceed to kiss the tip of each finger on her left hand before lying on top of her again.

Kenshin rubbed her face with the back of his right hand and smiled down at her. "You surprised me, koishii. I didn't think you would be able to endure my attentions for so long." He placed a light kiss on her lips. "I think you deserve a small reward, don't you?" She nodded and he smiled again. "Then I allow you control of you body again."

Kaoru's eyes widened in surprise as she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Kenshin moved into the kiss, giving her a small nip on her lip. In response she opened her mouth to him. As his tongue slid inside to duel with her own she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper within her before she began rocking her hips. Kenshin smiled against her mouth and began rocking his hips against hers. Kaoru moaned into his mouth as he stroked her tongue with his and he could feel her tightening around him. Her movements became quicker and the duel in her mouth became more urgent as she sought her release.

He was able to sense her climax and broke free of her body entirely before it could consume her. She whimpered and reached out to him, beckoning him to return to her. He shook his head no. "I gave you control of your body again, but I'm not going to give you another release yet." Kaoru huffed in indignation and moved her hands down her body to pleasure herself, her body aching for what he denied her.

Kenshin was mesmerized at the sight before him but was quickly brought out of his stupor as her back arched and her breathing became more labored. The next instant he was straddling her waist, he was holding her hands above her head, and his face was an inch away from hers. "That was a dirty trick you played. However the fault is mine, I should have been clearer with my words. Allow me to clarify for you: You are not allowed a release by your hand or mine until I have decided so." He crushed his lips against hers but didn't accept her invitation to journey into the sweet depth of her mouth. He pulled away from the kiss and looked into her eyes.

"Kenshin . . . Kenshin . . .please . . . please, Kenshin . . ."

He sat up and scooted off of her. "Are you begging?"

"Hai," she said breathlessly as she sat before him.

An arrogant smirk crossed his face. "Then beg."

She bowed low enough that her forhead was on the floor. "I want you so badly right now, Kenshin. My body is burning from your touches. I want you to take me and make me come for you over and over. I need you."

"Any way I want?"

"Any way you want. Just please . . ."

He used his hand to gently lift her back into a sitting position. "As you wish. You will receive what you have asked for but I will suffer through no complaints." He was kneeling before her, his hand brushing through her hair. He reached the back of her head and clenched his fist and pulled upwards, forcing her to her knees. He pulled her lips to his and as he kissed her he sat down so she was above him during it. He slid his legs between hers and released her hair but not her mouth. He moved both hands to her waist and positioned her above him. He pulled away from her lips and latched on to her breast with his teeth before pulling her down forcefully and impaling her.

Kaoru cried out from the mixed sensations. As he settled deeper within her body she placed her legs around his waist, her knees bent, her feet flat on the floor. Kenshin's legs mimicked his wife's and he had one arm behind him, hand on the ground, giving him the leverage he needed to thrust into her. Kenshin used his free arm to hold her upper body to him. Her hands fisted in his fiery hair as his mouth tightened his grip on her breast.

"Kenshin . . ." She moaned as he pulled his mouth released her breast and gave it a final lick at the same time he thrust harder into her. She pulled harder on his hair, "Kenshin, please."

"Do it."

She gasped as he picked up his pace. His mouth found its way to her collarbone and he began a slow trek across it, marking her fiercely enough to draw blood along the length of it. As the first bite broke the skin she tugged the tie in his hair out with one swift motion. She used one hand to press his face to her torso and moved the other to his shoulder to gain some leverage of her own.

Kenshin growled as she picked up the rhythm and began moving with him. There was a feral look in his golden eyes as he looked above him to see her with her head thrown back, reviling in the sensations. He smiled against her skin, making sure that this next bite was deeper than the others.

She shuddered against him and moved her hips faster. He could feel the muscles in her thighs clenching his waist as intensely as the muscles of her inner walls held another part of his anatomy. He growled again, restraining himself as she gripped him tightly and shrieked as her release washed over her.

She slumped against him as he used his arms to still her movements. His voice was strained as he spoke. "Kaoru, don't move. If you do I'll come and I'm not ready yet." Kaoru had buried her face in his shoulder and just nodded against him. She repositioned herself to take some of the pressure of her left knee and Kenshin hissed. "Kaoru . . ."

"Gomen, Kenshin." Kaoru carefully pulled her face from his shoulders, making sure not to move her lower body. She took Kenshin's chin in her hand and tilted his face up so she could place a soft kiss on his lips. His arms were still around her and he pulled her closer to him. Kaoru moved her lips from his and placed soft kisses along his jaw and up to his ear then down his neck. He moved his hands softly across her back, still waiting for the moment when he could move freely without fear of an unwanted release. Halfway down his neck Kaoru stopped and concentrated on one spot.

"Kaoru?" Instead of verbally answering she sunk her teeth into his neck and sucked vigorously. His arms tightened around her, his nails digging into her arms. "Koishii . . . I . . . I didn't know you liked to bite."

She smiled against his skin. "I didn't either. But after observing how much you enjoy it I wanted to understand why. Now I know."

"What did you—" he was cut off as she bit into him again, harder this time. "Kami-sama, Kaoru, stop. You're going to bring me and I already told you I'm not ready."

Kaoru smiled mischievously as she removed her mouth from his skin and gave his neck a final lick, soothing the wound with her tongue. She looked down at him and put her hands back in his hair. "You're not ready, Kenshin?" she asked innocently.

"No, I want this to last."

Kaoru jerked his hair hard, causing him to lose his balance and lie on his back beneath her. Her smile widened as a tortured look crossed his face as she rocked her hips against him.

"Kaoru . . ."

She faked a pout. "Don't you like it, Kenshin. Well, if you don't like it then I guess I'll get off."

Before she could move Kenshin's hands were holding her waist down, stopping her retreat. "Woman, I didn't give you permission to go anywhere." She smiled again and started a rhythm of her own. "I didn't give you permission to move either."

"You didn't have to do."

Kenshin growled and used the hands on her hips to lift her above him and then pull her back down to him. After several repetitions Kaoru was able to do it on her own and he moved his hands to massage her breasts. She knew he was close as his hips thrust upwards and his hands tightened on her flesh almost painfully.

"No, not yet." This statement prompted her to move faster and the next second pulled her body down to his, gasping for air as he called out her name.

"Aishiteru, Kenshin."

"Mo aishiteru, Kaoru." He pulled her face to his for another kiss. "You do know that once I get my strength back you're going to pay for that little trap."

* * *

An hour later they were lying underneath the blanket on the futon, still panting from their latest exploit. Kaoru had her face buried in Kenshin's chest and his chin was resting atop her head. He had one hand running up and down her arm, trying to calm her into a sleep. She was trailing random patterns on his chest and he sighed deeply.

"Kaoru?"

"Hai?"

"Has your decision changed?"

"Why would you think that?"

"I . . . I don't know . . . I just thought that maybe . . ."

"Kenshin, I love you so very, very much and now that I've finally managed to get you home again I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

He laughed. "That's good because I don't ever intend on letting you out of mine either."

She giggled and snuggled closer to him. "Welcome home, Kenshin."

"I couldn't have asked for a better welcome." He placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Be prepared for your goodnight kiss tonight."

"Be ready for yours."

"Aishiteru, Kaoru-koishii."

* * *

It's finished! Yeah, so that's what eight and a half pages of lemon after thee pages of story looks like. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you thought of this story.

Also I've got a new story that will be posted sometime next week, lemon also. I haven't decided on a title for it so just watch for it.


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